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Puppy Care
No matter if your new puppy is a teacup Chihuahua or a Great Dane, they will need to have a few check ups to ensure that they are properly vaccinated, protected from parasites, and ready for a long and happy life with their new family. We can assist you by explaining the proper vaccinations for puppies, the appropriate time to spay or neuter, and the benefits of microchipping.
Vaccinations: Puppies, like children, need regular shots to help bring them bring their immune systems up to speed, and prevent serious or even fatal diseases. Puppies should be vaccinated in a series of three visits.
- Their first vaccination visit should take place when they are 6-8 weeks old;
- The second when they are 10-12 weeks old;
- And the third when they are 14- 16 weeks old.
At these visits, we will also give your puppy a physical examination, weigh them to track their growth, offer behavioral advice, and administer appropriate parasite testing.
Kitten Care
Bringing a new kitten to your home is an exciting time for the whole family. It can be easy to be caught up in the excitement, but at Shawnee Animal Hospital, we ask you to remember that kittens are very small, fragile, and sensitive animals.
If you have other cats, we recommend keeping your kitten in a spare room with a second litter box and not introducing the cats at first. This will give your kitten time to adjust, and your first cat time to realize they are sharing their living space. This is also in the best interest of their health. We suggest that before the kitten is introduced to other cats, they are tested for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus.
Vaccinations: Your veterinarian can help you decide which vaccinations are appropriate for your kitten based on their age, breed, health status, and lifestyle. Cats who spend time outside or are frequently around other cats may need a few more shots than an indoor kitty.
Kittens should be brought in for shots in a series of three visits.
- First when they are 6-8 weeks old;
- Secondly at 10-12 weeks old;
- And thirdly at 14-16 weeks old.
Spay/Neuter Procedure
For companion animals, we recommend spay/neuter surgery mainly because of its proven health benefits. Neutered animals are also easier to care for, because sexually-driven behavioral traits are curbed, especially when the surgery is performed within the first year of life
In addition to these reasons, if you do not plan on breeding your pet, having an unwanted litter can be expensive, stressful, and time-consuming. The cost of the spay/neuter procedure may well save you money in the long run, because it is less than the cost of providing for several baby animals and a pregnant mother!
Neutering pets is also crucial to countering the national pet homelessness crisis, which refers to the hundreds of thousands of unwanted pets who are placed in shelters or euthanized every year.
Spaying is the removal of the ovaries and uterus of a female animal. Spaying prevents the female from having heat periods. This means, that in many cases you will be spared the unwanted behavioral side effects of a heat period, such as frequent urination and vocalization. Spayed females have a diminished risk of contracting cancers of the reproductive system. Their life expectancies increase because of this, and also because the physical stressor of pregnancy is alleviated.
Microchipping Services in Shawnee
Losing a pet can be a traumatic experience for any pet owner. According to the American Humane Association, over 10 million pets are lost or stolen in the United States every year. While collars and tags are helpful, they can easily fall off or be removed. This is where pet microchipping comes in.
What Is Pet Microchipping?
Pet microchipping is a simple and safe procedure that involves inserting a tiny microchip, about the size of a grain of rice, under your pet’s skin. This can be done during a routine wellness visit in our office. The microchip contains a unique identification number that can be scanned by a microchip reader. This number is linked to your contact information in a national pet recovery database, making it easier for you to be reunited with your lost pet.
After your pet has a microchip, our team will help you fill out the forms you will need to send in, so your contact information can be associated with the chip in a national database. If your pet ever becomes lost, a veterinarian or animal shelter employee will use a special scanner to read the information. You will be contacted, and you and your pet will be successfully reunited.
The Importance of Pet Microchipping
Collars and tags can easily fall off or be removed, leaving your pet with no form of identification. Microchipping provides a permanent form of identification that cannot be lost or removed. It also increases the chances of your pet being returned to you if they are lost or stolen. According to a study by the American Veterinary Medical Association, microchipped cats are 20 times more likely to be returned to their owners, while microchipped dogs are 2.5 times more likely to be returned.
Additional Pet Identification and Microchipping Tips
While microchipping is an important step in ensuring your pet’s safety, it is not a replacement for collars and tags. Make sure your pet always wears a collar with identification tags, as this is the first thing someone will look for if they find your lost pet. It is also important to keep your pet’s microchip information up to date. If you move or change your contact information, be sure to update it in the national pet recovery database.
Trusted Pet Care & a Friendly Welcome for Every Pet
